Preferred furnishings woods are maple and cherry, both have a great figure, are simple to maker, and cherry has a wonderful fruity odor when cut. Maple has a couple of advantages over cherry. Nicely figured maple is easier to find and less costly, and since it has a comparable grain pattern, properly stained maple is almost identical from cherry, but, both cherry and maple have a track record for being challenging to end up.

Cherry and maple do not stain uniformly. Their highly prized figure arise from end grain that increases to the face of the board in irregular patterns. Many finishers try to stain cherry and maple utilizing pigment discolorations, but since end grain takes in pigment a lot more quickly than does face grain, the outcome is blotchy, unequal color.

Preparing the wood
Preparation methods could fill a book, so I'll simply strike the high points here. Sand all surface areas evenly, working your way up through sanding grits from course to fine, skipping every other grit: 60, 100, 150, 220. The idea is to utilize 60 grit to get rid of tool marks and flatten big surface areas, then utilize each succeeding grit to get rid of the scratches left by the previous grit. On flat surface areas back your sandpaper with a sanding block. Use a shop light and sight along the wood. When you have actually an even sheen without any scratches left from the previous grit you can proceed to the next grit. When sanding by hand, do not use a lot of pressure. Simply the weight of your hand and even strokes ought to do the job.

Using dye spots
To get around the problem of unequal pigment stain absorption, usage color stains rather. The difference is essential. Pigment stains are composed of small opaque particles of color suspended in liquid. When used to the wood, these particles lodge in pores and scratches, and the open ends of end grain where they are sucked up by capillary action, leading to a blotchy look. Pigment spots likewise highlight sanding mistakes and unknown, rather than enhance the figure of the wood.

Raising the grain
Water soaks into the wood and swells the fibers, leading to fine "hairs" on an otherwise completely sanded surface area. It is required, for that reason, to intentionally raise the grain of the wood and sand off the hairs prior to using water-based dyes. To do this, simply take a tidy sponge or rag soaked in warm water, wet the surface of the wood, and let it dry. As soon as the wood dries lightly sand off the raised whiskers with 320 grit sandpaper, sand just enough to eliminate the hairs; excessive sanding will cut through to the un-raised grain below, defeating the purpose. Keep in mind to use a sanding block on flat surface areas. Repeat this process a couple of times. By the 3rd wetting you need to feel no more raised grain.

Selecting the Color
Dye spots been available in a variety of colors, normally as powder in one-ounce bottles, and are easy to mix. It is difficult to distinguish the color of the powder or a chart what the dye will appear like on your task, so while you're at the store dampen a finger and stick it in the powder and wipe it on a sample of your wood or slip of paper. Find a number of colors that look close, then a couple more at the extremes of the variety you have an interest in. For example, I like a deep orange-red mahogany color so I'll choose "dark mahogany" or "cherry mahogany" for beginners, and then get something really yellow in case the others are too red and something actually red in case they are too yellow.

Mixing the Dye
There are two methods to mix dyes. You can mix them together in a single batch to get the color you want, or you can mix them by successive applications on your work. Because you're going to apply numerous coats of color anyhow, and considering that it's tough to replicate a mix, I suggest mixing them on the work.